Forty Years Later was published as a Kindle book, audio book, and now on iPad. His novel is not yet part of Apple's database, but it is available on the iPad, iPod, iPhone, and most Macs and PCs via the Kindle app. It's been quite a wild ride. Yet, it was only a few years ago that an author wouldn't be so forthcoming about having an e-book published. That's because a great deal of e-books were pretty horrid, full of misspellings and bad grammar, awful plots and bad prose. Early e-books gave the whole enterprise a bad name. Then some self-publishers began printing anything anyone would send them. Soon reviewers refused to look at this material. Not all of it was bad, but decent prose was in the minority. It looked as if virtual books, such as those Kindle was about to offer, were going to suffer the same fate. What saved the Kindle books, and iPad books by extension?
"Anyone with chutzpah and a few bucks (could) self-publish and post an e-book online. Vanity presses, PODs, and e-books are welcoming, uncritical opportunities for writers. Many writers who avail themselves of those choices are very talented, but most are not, and e-books have long been associated with second-class talent."
Economics have turned that around. New York publishers have discovered themselves backed into a financial dilemma by cost over-runs, while e-publishers enjoy fewer problems with overhead. The public likes the lower prices, too.
"Not only are e-books now publicly sanctioned, they are in the ascendancy. While traditional media are foundering, e-book popularity is increasing exponentially."
Griffel's book is about a romance sparked at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. A love relationship from that time is rekindled a generation later, with surprising results. Most techno-savvy kids, heck, most techno-savvy adults weren't born then, but a lot of Baby Boomers were around. How does Griffel get Boomers, said to be shy about technology, to read his book?
"I meet with a lot of resistance. My trump card is that content rules and Forty Years Later is a great read (or so I'm told.)!"
Some books languish in Amazon's virtual basement only to spring to life overnight when a Kindle version becomes available. Now that New York Publishers are scrambling, agents are putting "do not disturb" signs on their doors, and major bookstore chains are in Chapter 11, people must be demanding more for their money.
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